


Laura Goes to School

by InvisibleObserver13



Category: Cobra Kai (Web Series), Karate Kid (Movies)
Genre: Alternate Universe, Brother-Sister Relationships, Father-Daughter Relationship, Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-10-06
Updated: 2019-10-06
Packaged: 2020-11-25 15:03:21
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,299
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20914061
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/InvisibleObserver13/pseuds/InvisibleObserver13
Summary: Laura Lawrence gets ready for her first day of kindergarten.





	Laura Goes to School

**Author's Note:**

  * For [Jules1980](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Jules1980/gifts).

> This was written for the Cobra Kai OC Fic Exchange. The original character of Laura Lawrence belongs to Jules1980. Laura is Johnny and Shannon's second child from the fic "But I'll Never Stop Trying".

**Laura Goes to School**

“I can’t believe both of my babies are old enough to go to school!”

Johnny rolls his eyes at Shannon’s statement. “Well, Shannon, kids grow up. It’s what they do. Robby has already been in school for two years now. And Laura was going to have to start sometime.”

Shannon flushes. Her smile, directed to her children, becomes tighter. She stands up straight, narrowing her eyes at her children’s father.

“I know that, Johnny. I’m just saying that our kids are growing up so fast.” She looks back down at her kids, smiling. “Can you slow down a bit? You’re making Mommy feel old. And before you know it, you’ll be graduating from high school and leaving me all alone.” She caresses Robby’s cheek.

Johnny scoffs. “Can you wait until they’re teenagers before you start guilt-tripping them?”

Shannon scowls, putting her hands on her hips. “You know, you don’t need to go shopping with us. I am perfectly capable of doing this on my own. We’ll be fine without you. In fact, we are fine without you.”

“Don’t give me that bullshit. These are my kids too. You barely let me spend any time with them. And I’m not just going to hand over the money for school supplies. I’m not going to have my kids going without backpacks and crayons because you need a new dress to wear out to the bars.”

“Fuck you, Johnny!” Shannon snarls, shoving him.

Not wanting his parents to start fighting again, this time in public, seven year old Robby pipes up. “Mom, can we go shopping now? Please.”

Both Johnny and Shannon shut up and look at their son. Johnny glances at Laura. She is shuffling her feet and looking away. But he can see how her face is all crumpled. He feels a twinge of guilt, seeing how she holds back her tears. Shannon puts on a big smile and takes Robby’s hand. “You’re right, sweetie. Let’s go.”

Johnny picks up Laura, giving her a kiss on the cheek. She giggles, hugging him tighter. “Okay, Princess, what color backpack do you want?”

“Pink!”

Johnny smiles. “Why am I not surprised? Alright, let’s go find one.”

They weren’t the only family scrambling to take advantage of the Back to School Sale at the 99¢ Only Store on Sepulveda Blvd. Backpacks were selling for $2.99, causing Johnny to fight his way through the crowd. He was planning to just grab a pink one and move on to the next item. His daughter had other plans.

“No, Daddy! Not that one!” Laura cries, shaking her head.

Johnny closes his eyes, sighing. He puts the princess bag back on the rack.

“Okay, baby. Do you want the Minnie Mouse, Barbie, or the one with the cat?”

Laura continues shaking her head. “I want Carly!”

Johnny scrunches his face in confusion. “Huh?”

Robby tugs on his dad’s shirt. “Dad, _ iCarly _ is a show on Nickelodeon. Lou loves it.”

His dad blinks, a blank expression on his face. He has never heard of it.

“There she is, Daddy! I want that one!”

Still confused, Johnny looks to where Laura is frantically pointing. There is a hot pink backpack with a picture of a brunette girl on the front pocket, the name “iCarly” printed underneath the girl. Of course, it is the last one of its kind, hanging up on the top of the farthest side of the rack. Johnny sets Laura down by her brother. He walks off, intending to retrieve the bag.

He reaches out to grab it when two other hands take hold of it. But they don’t match. One hand has long, slender fingers with bright red polish on the nails, while the other is large with dirt under the chipped nails belonging to a thick hairy arm. All three look up at each other. The man with the hairy arms wears a stained uniform shirt that strains over his potbelly. He glares out from under bushy eyebrows that resemble caterpillars.

“Look, I didn’t work all damn night just have my kid whine about not getting the bookbag she wants.”

“Well, honey, you weren’t the only one who’s worked long hours. You certainly aren’t the only one with a kid who likes this show. And I grabbed it like a second before you did,” snaps the woman, her free hand resting on her hip. Johnny takes her appearance, eyes sliding down her body. He thinks she has a great figure and legs that go on forever, but she wears too much makeup for his taste.

“Bullshit, lady. And don’t think you can sweet talk me into letting go,” the big, hairy man sneers. He tries to yank it out of her and Johnny’s hands. Neither let go.

Johnny really doesn’t think that a backpack is worth all this trouble. Surely, he and Shannon can convince their daughter to choose a different bag. There are so many that are pink and have girly characters on them. He is about to let go of the pink shoulder strap.

But then Shannon comes up behind him. She whispers in his ear, “You aren’t going to let them win, are you? Fine, just go ahead and disappoint our little girl. She’ll cry the whole way home just because you weren’t man enough to get her backpack.”

_ Fuck _, Johnny thinks. She has insulted his pride as a man and a father. He looks back at Laura. Hope gleams in her big blue eyes. God, that woman knows how to press his buttons. There’s only one thing for him to do.

“Hey, Shan, here’s a thought,” he bites back. “Why don’t you find some pencils, crayons, and that kinda shit while I get our girl a backpack?”

Shannon gives him smirk. “Sure, Johnny. Come on, kids.” She takes Robby by the hand, who in turn latches onto Laura, leading them off down another aisle.

Meanwhile, Johnny turns his attention to the lady beside him. He turns on the old charm.

“Ma’am, I know that you also need to get a bag for your daughter. But I was wondering if you could let me have this one.”

The woman gives him a once-over. Apparently, she likes what she sees, as her body language softens and when she speaks, her tone becomes flirtatious. “It’s ‘miss’, not ‘ma’am’. And why would I want to do that?”

“Well, I’m a single father. I just want to make sure that my little girl is happy. She really loves this _ iCarly _ show. Don’t ask me why, but she does. My baby girl is just starting kindergarten this year. I barely get to see her and my son because their mother likes to punish me for us not working out. And if I’m being honest, I don’t trust her to buy the kids what they need. Last year, Robby, my boy, was stuck with a backpack that he got in preschool two years before, which was falling apart. I can’t let that happen again.”

Her expression becomes increasingly sympathetic as he goes on. “That is so sweet of you. I’m glad that she has such a caring father. Your daughter is adorable.”

Johnny smiles, surprised. “You saw her?”

She rolls her eyes, a smile on her face. “Of course. Who didn’t? She looks just like you.”

His smile becomes brighter. “Thank you. But I think she looks more like my mother, who she was named for.”

The woman practically melts at that. “Oh, you named her after your mom! That is the sweetest thing I’ve ever heard. I bet your mother was so honored by that.”

Johnny’s smile dims. “I would hope so. She died quite some time ago.”

She places her hand on his arm. “Oh, I am so sorry to hear that. You know what? You go ahead and get this bag. I was only trying to help my sister get my niece and nephew’s school supplies. I’m sure I can find another one some place else.”

The lady releases her hold on the bag and starts to walk off. Turning back, she takes something out of her expensive purse. “This is my card,” the woman informs him, holding it up before slipping it into his pocket. She flashes him a seductive smile. “Maybe you could give me a call sometime.” Then she is gone. However, the burly man is still in play.

“You won’t be able to get rid of me that easily,” he scoffs.

“Yeah, no kidding,” Johnny mutters.

* * *

Shannon is pushing a shopping cart half-filled with school supplies through aisle after aisle, picking up a few items here and there. Robby and Laura trail after her. As they get to the end of the current aisle, She is forced to stop short. The wheels make a shrieking sound. Robby smacks into her, stepping on her heels.

“Oww!”

Shannon can tell Laura just did the same to Robby. She takes a moment to look the kids over, making sure that they aren’t hurt. Fury takes over as she turns her attention back to the reason for their sudden halt.

“What the hell, Johnny!”

He stands there, a bit stunned. “What? I was looking all over for you.”

Shannon starts to comment, but doesn’t have the chance. Laura and Robby peer around their mother. Robby looks at his dad, expectantly. “Well, did you get it?”

Johnny grins. He holds up the pink _ iCarly _ bag for them all to see. Laura is all smiles. She runs up to her father, wrapping her arms around his waist.

“Oh, Daddy! You got it! Thank you, thank you, thank you! I love it!”

Johnny glows with pride and love. He did it. He made his little girl happy. Crouching down, he returns her hug. He lovingly strokes her hair and gives her a kiss, as he hands her the backpack.

“I’m glad you like it, sweetheart.”

Robby wears a small smile of approval.

Shannon says nothing to Johnny, but holds her hand out to her daughter. “Laura, honey, let’s put it in the cart with everything else. We still need to buy you some new clothes.”

Laura’s expression dims. “Alright, Mommy,” she replies, handing it over. She reluctantly follows her mother out of the aisle.

Instead of going with them, Robby hangs back. Johnny approaches him cautiously. He loves his son, but Robby takes after Shannon in making him feel like he is failing as a father.

Robby glances down for a moment. “Hey, dad. So, how did you get Laura’s backpack from those people? That one guy was huge.”

Johnny shrugs. “That woman was pretty nice. All I did was talk to her. She was the one who decided that Laura needed it more than she and her niece did.”

“As for the big guy…” He looks up and down the aisle, making sure no one was around. “Well, he did put up a fight. He tried to push me around, but I ended up having to sweep his leg. He fell back into one of the racks and knocked backpacks everywhere.”

Robby grins. “Nice!”

“Yeah, but you don’t mention that to your mom and sister. Oh, this is one of the bags that came down. I think it’s time you got a new one.” He pulls a _ Power Rangers Jungle Fury _ bag from behind him. The backpack is black and red with an attached pencil case. The picture on the front is holographic, changing between an image of the Red Ranger and his Tiger Zord.

Robby’s face lights up in surprise. “Cool! Thanks, Dad!”

Johnny releases a breath he didn’t realize that he had been holding.

* * *

“Mom! “Mom, wake up! We have to get ready for school!”

Even though her door is still closed, Laura hears her brother shouting at their mother. She runs a brush through her blonde hair one more time before pulling it back into a ponytail. She is already dressed and ready. Laura has been up for an hour. She just can’t wait to start kindergarten! She loves that she gets to go to school with her big brother. Well, to the same school and ride the bus with him, at least.

There is a knock at her door.

“Hey, Lou, you up?”

Laura practically skips to her door, opening it. She greets him with an energetic smile. “Good morning, Robby! Yeah, I’ve been up for a while. What are we having for breakfast? Is Mom up yet? Is she going to walk us to the bus stop?”

Her brother blinks and adjusts his glasses. Robby didn’t expect Laura to be this awake or this bubbly. Recovering, he returns her smile. “Morning, sis. Um, no. I couldn’t get her up. She’s pretty tired. But I’ll make us some cereal. Or we could have Pop-Tarts. I think we still have a few left. And we’ll be fine. I’ll be with you. We’re taking the same bus. Now, go brush your teeth while I work on breakfast.”

She nods, her smile a bit dimmer from the news that her mom wasn’t going to send them off with hugs, kisses, and waffles for breakfast. But she’s got her Robby, so she’ll be okay.

* * *

Robby rummages through the cabinets. _ Great. _ He rolls his eyes. _ Mom forgot to go grocery shopping. _ Thankfully, there will be enough for him to cobble together breakfast for both of them and lunch for Laura. But he will have to take a few dollars from his mother’s purse if he wants to eat lunch. He’s not sure if Mom filled out the paperwork for the reduced lunch program.

There is only one pack of Pop-Tarts left. Robby considers splitting it, knowing that she’ll only eat one of them; and that way, they can both have a bowl of cereal and a Pop-Tart each. But he reconsiders because Laura likes the s’mores flavored ones. Maybe he can convince her to put it in her bag or lunchbox to take as a snack.

Robby grabs two bowls from one cabinet and a box of cereal from another. It’s some knockoff of Froot Loops. He proceeds to shake the dull-colored sugary rings out of the box into the bowls, then opens the fridge to get milk. Luckily, there is enough milk for both of them. As he pours milk in her bowl, he calls for his sister.

“Laura, breakfast is ready. Come eat!”

Laura munches on her Tootie Fruities while watching TV, while Robby packs her lunch. He slathers some peanut butter on the only two slices of bread that hadn’t started to mold yet. The rest of her lunch includes a bag of pretzels, a juice box, and a pack of Reese’s Bites To Go. He places everything in her _ Hannah Montana _ lunch box and slides it in front of her.

“Once you finish eating, put that in your backpack.”

Laura nods. But since her eyes are glued to the screen, her brother isn’t sure she heard him.

Finally, Robby gets a chance to eat his own breakfast. He makes a face at the taste, trying to choke down as many bites as he can. Meanwhile Laura is just finishing a frosted s’mores Pop-Tart. She starts looking around the floor, under the table and by the couch. The second toaster pastry lies half out of the foil wrapper on the table, forgotten.

“Where are my shoes?”

Robby frowns. “Where did you have them last?”

Laura pauses, thinking. She makes a mad dash to her bedroom. Robby rolls his eyes, finishing what is left of the cereal. He spots her lunchbox and lone Pop-Tart where she had left them, alongside her discarded bowl. He picks up both bowls and rinses them off in the sink. Then Robby places her leftover Pop-Tart in her lunchbox.

He glances at the clock. They need to leave for the bus stop soon. “Lou, we need to head out.”

She comes running out, thankfully wearing her shoes. Robby passes her both the backpack and lunchbox, before grabbing his own backpack. Laura sets her backpack on the floor, crouching down to open it. Robby stares at her, starting to get annoyed.

“Laura, come on. We need to go! We can’t miss the bus on the first day of school.”

She makes no move to hurry. “In a minute.” She stuffs her lunch in the bag. When she is finished, Laura stands up slowly and slips the straps over her shoulders. She glances to Shannon’s bedroom door. “What about Mom? Can we say goodbye?”

Robby rolls his eyes. He hastily scribbles a message for their mom, letting her know that they were leaving and reminding her to buy food for the week. “Okay, I wrote her a note. But we need to go. Now.” He takes his sister’s hand, pulling her toward the door.

Laura looks back toward Shannon’s room again. “Bye, Mommy!”

* * *

“Alright, everybody off! No pushing and no shoving!”

The bus has just pulled up in front of the elementary school. The doors open with a screech. There is a cacophony of noise as all students rise and scramble to get off the bus. Nearly all of them.

Laura is still sitting down, leaning her head against the cool glass of the window pane. She hugs her backpack to her chest, fiddling with the zipper tabs. She startles when Robby touches her arm.

“Laura, come on.”

He frowns at her behind his glasses.

“Laura, what’s wrong?” he asks her softly.

The only response he receives is a shrug. Laura was fine during the wait at the bus stop. And she was fine on the bus ride to school. But now, she doesn’t know what is wrong with her. Her mouth is dry. Her heart is races and she is short of breath. But she doesn’t know why.

Robby gives his sister an encouraging smile. “I think you’ve just got first day jitters. Lou, it’ll be fine. They don’t even really make you do anything or give you homework on the first day, especially in kindergarten. Come on, let’s get off the bus. I’ll walk you to your classroom.”

Robby holds out his hand. Laura looks at it for a moment before taking it. She returns his smile. “Okay.”

* * *

As she and her brother make their way through the crowded hallways, Laura becomes somewhat calmer. Since they got off the bus, Robby has had a protective arm wrapped around his sister. Just having her brother by her side helps, but she is nervous because she knows that he will have to leave her before long.

“Room 511. Here it is - your classroom.”

Laura’s shoulders slump. Did it have to be this soon? Robby gives her a one-armed hug. “Don’t sweat it, sis. Just relax. Have a good day. I’ll find you when school gets out.”

He waves to her as he walks out of the classroom. Laura reluctantly finds a seat at the nearest table. She clutches her backpack to her chest, head down.

“I like your backpack.”

Laura pops her head up. Apparently, she was so lost in her own thoughts, that she did not realize someone had sat down beside her. A girl with long dark hair, brown eyes, and a kind smile.

“Huh?”

The brown-haired girl pointed to Laura’s backpack. “I said I like your backpack. _ iCarly _ is my favorite show.”

Laura smiles. “Mine too.”

“But Sam is my favorite character. That’s why I got this,” the dark-haired girl says, holding up a purple backpack with both Sam Puckett and Carly Shay on the front pocket.

Laura stares at it in wonder. “Wow. That’s so pretty.”

The other girl beams at her. “Thanks. I’m Caitlin.”

Laura introduces herself, silently hoping that she has made her first friend outside of her brother and Ryan.


End file.
